160 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MlRAlSfDA. 



seemed even more striking and beautiful than usual, from the 

 contrast with what we had seen in the North. 



The various forms of " ice-blink'^ and "ice-loom/' so 

 familiar to Arctic travellers, are also probably due to dust- 

 particles or half-condensed vapor, scattering the light re- 

 flected to them from ice below the horizon. It is a peculiar 

 color or appearance in the air which is above ice. The 

 ordinary phases need no description here. We saw one 

 little phase, however, which was so peculiar and striking that 

 it may be noted. We had passed a very large berg, and were 

 watching it carefully as it dropped astern to see how long it 

 could be seen, but its actual disappearance could not be timed. 

 A light spot hovered about it before it sank out of sight, and 

 for some time after it sank below the horizon the place of its 

 disappearance was marked by an illuminated spot in the air 

 like a segment of a circle or an ellipse resting on the horizon, 

 brightest near the water, and fading out from the centre. 



Although not related to atmospheric dust, there is a phase 

 of optical meteorology that needs, perhaps, a word. It is 

 the mirage noticed by all Arctic travellers. We had our best 

 example of that off Newfoundland and Labrador. In these 

 regions the fogs occur when the winds are easterly, from the 

 south round to the northeast; but the air clears when the 

 wind is westerly or off shore. If it be mild and the air 

 warm, then the mirage is likely to appear. July 16 was 

 one of the most enjoyable days of the trip. We were steam- 

 ing along the northeastern coast of Newfoundland, between 

 latitude 49° and 51°. It was a clear day, with a very light 

 wind off shore, and at times the air was so calm that 

 the sea was almost glassy. The atmosphere was very trans- 

 parent, and the sky overhead was brightly blue, becoming 

 very pale toward the horizon. The sea-horizon itself was 

 very dark, but not sharp ; on the contrary, it was wavy and 

 ill-defined, often ragged and changing in outline. We were 



